Striking West Indies players on Tuesday seemed bent on testing the West Indies Cricket Board's ultimatum to apologise by Wednesday or face the consequences.

At the same time a depleted West Indies side was crumbling to a 95-run defeat to Bangladesh on Monday here, Executive President of the West Indies Players' Association Dinanath Ramnarine was drawing up battle lines.

"We are meeting with our lawyers... We are exploring all our options," Ramnarine told the Express newspaper in his native Trinidad & Tobago.

The former West Indies leg-spinner disclosed that the striking players are unfazed by the WICB's demand for an apology or face non-consideration for selection to the squad that will take part in the ICC Champions Trophy this September in South Africa.

"They are very strong," said Ramnarine. "They want to play cricket for the West Indies. But playing under the same conditions, they don't feel that it is right, and no human being should be asked to play under the conditions under which the WICB is asking them to play."

The striking West Indies players are protesting playing four previous series - including the T20 WC - without a contract, outstanding pay, and other issues.

But the WICB said it was ready, willing, and able to pay the players - and would do so despite the protest as an act of "good faith".

The WICB also pledged its "unswerving commitment and support" to all the players that have indicated they were available for the first Test against Bangladesh in a news release following an emergency meeting here on Saturday.

They added that their continued commitment to the group of players taking part in the Test ensures there will always be a solid pool of approximately 29 contracted players from which to draw for the future tour commitments.

The beneficiary of the impasse has been the visiting Bangladesh side which completed a 95-run victory in the opening Test to take a 1-0 lead in a two-Test series and now harbours dreams of a maiden Test series victory entering the second Test starting on Friday in Grenada.